Bench construction



P. L. MOKEE 1,801,315

BENCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 23, 1927 P/wag; ZJfc/ree,

Patented Apr. 21, 1931 PHILIP L. MGKEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS BENCHCONSTRUCTION Application filed December 23, 1927. Serial No. 242,274.

My invention relates to an improved bench construction for a greenhouse.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a bench in which thegreenhouse heating pipes are supported directly from the concrete legsof the bench and wherein the woodwork and cross pieces constituting theupper portion of the bench are assembled upon and detachable from thelegs, and without disturbing the pipe supports.

Still another object of my invention resides in an improved constructionof this type wherein the pipe supports are detachably mounted on theconcrete legs and in a manner which permits of the free expansion andcontraction of the pipes and without disturbing their mounting.

Yet another obj ect of my invention resides in providing a specialconstruction for the top portion of the concrete legs upon which thecross pieces are supported whereby water is drained away from thewoodwork and whereby the cross pieces are prevented from rotting.

Still another object of my invention resides in the special constructionfor the top pieces of the concrete legs and so as to freely andswingingly support the iron brackets for the heating pipes and to permitthe wooden cross pieces to hold the brackets in position.

These and other objects of my invention will be apparent from a perusalof the following specification when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a view from the end of myimproved bench construction;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

. Fig. 3 is an end view showing a modified construction Fig. 1 is adetailed View of the drain grooves and bracket-holding grooves on top ofone of the concrete pillars;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4E; and

Fig. 6 is a modification of the construc tion as shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, my improved bench constructioncomprises a plurality of concrete pillars 2 of any desired shape orsize, preferably of the shape shown in the drawings. These pillars areprovided on their upper portions with a plurality of transverselyextending grooves 4; which are inclined in an angle horizontally so asto drain the water from the tops of these portions. In the constructionshown in Figs. 1 and 5, the grooves 4 are arranged in the form of across meeting at a central portion 6 which is at the highest elevationso that the water will drain downwardly from the central point; whereasin Fig. 6 the grooves 8 are arranged to drain from one side of thepillar to the other. If desired, only one set of the grooves may beused.

These grooves have a two-fold function: that of forming a guideway orcradle for swivelingly receiving preferably an inverted U-shaped ironbracket or support which holds the heating pipe on the pillar proper,and

that of draining the water away from the upper surface of these pillarswhereby to prevent water from gathering beneath the wooden cross pieceswhich support the superstructure of the bench, and thereby prevent therotting of these wooden parts.

The brackets for supporting the heating pipes are either as shown inFig. 1 of the drawings or, alternately, as shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings. Each bracket comprises a rigid bar preferably of round crosssection, but not necessarily, and formed with a main depending arm orleg terminating in a lowermost curl or cradle 12. Each bracket is alsoprovided at its top portion with a transverse bend extending at rightangles to the depending arm and having a shorter depending arm or leg 16running substantially parallel to the longer depending arm or leg. Bymeans of this construction the curved outer portion of the bracket isadapted to fit into the cross groove 1 on the top portion of the pillar,the shorter arm 16 serving to hold the longer arm in depending positionso as to receive in the cradle portion 12 the heating pipe 18.

It will be observed that from this construction the pipe 18 isdetachably held in position by means of this bracket on the pillar andthat it is so mounted irrespective and two sets of pipe may beindependent of the superstructure comprising the cross pieces or beams20 and the bencn part proper 21. Inasmuch as grooves 4 are provided withcentrally raised portions at the junction of the grooves and since thesegrooves are somewhat wider than the top portion 14 of the bracket arm,the longer depending arm of the bracket which has the curl or cradle onits lowermost end and which carries the pipe 18, is free to swinglaterally and provides a swivel mounting. This swivel mounting providesswinging movement of the bracket which is necessary to accommodate thelongitudinal expansion and Contraction of these heating pipes, and thisfeature is most important and advantage ous,

The present invention provides a greenhousebench construction whereby aplurality of concrete pillars are arranged in proper relationship. Thesepillars each have grooves extending across the top thereof in bothdirections. A bracket is arranged in a groove of each pillar and issupported by the pillar.

The bracket comprises a substantially U- shaped member having downwardlyextending legs, one leg extending downwardly from opposite sides of thepillar. One leg may be made longer than the other leg of a bracket andmay be curled at its lower end for re-' ceiving a heating pipe. A woodenplatform is mounted above the pillars to provide a bench. By providingthe groove in the top of the pillars, the life of the wooden bench isgreatly increased as all water will drain off from the top of thepillars and prevent the wood from rotting. 1

Instead of forming a bracket as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, I mayform the depending arms or legs symmetrically as shown in Fig. 3,wherein the arms 22 are of equal length and each provided with a cradle24 for receiving the'heating pipes 18 whereby supported from the samepillar.

It will be apparent that by reason of my present construction the woodencross pieces 20 which lie across the tops of the pillars 2 serveto holdthebrackets firmly in position, while at the same time the brackets havea freely swinging movement for the contraction and expansion of thepipes. I It will also be apparent that by reason of these top grooves 4water is drained away fromthe under surfaces of these wooden crosspieces so they are not rotted by contact with the water.

It will be apparentthat as a result of my improved construction theentire wooden part of the bench can be removed without disturb ing theheating pipes, and that the iron brackets supporting the heatingmechanism may be at any desired height from the ground and independentof the wooden superstructure. In a co-pending application, Serial No.

226,549, filed October 17 1927, a greenhouse bench construction showinganother method of hanging steam pipes is disclosed and claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A bench construction for a greenhousecomprising a plurality of pillars supported from the ground and mountedin spaced relation, a wooden superstructure mounted on the top of saidpillars and a rigid bracket having a portion lying across the top ofeach of said pillars and having a portion depending downwardly along andtoward the bottom of the pillarand having means for. detachably carryinga heating pipe thereon, said bracket being constructed and arranged toswing freely to compensate for the expansion and contraction of thepipe.

2. A bench construction for a greenhouse comprisin a plurality ofpillars having grooves in their .upper surfaces and a rigid bracketswingingly mounted in one of said. grooves 111 each pillar and having anarm de-e pending and provided with means for detachably holding heatingpipe.

A bench construction fora greenhouse comprising pillars supported fromthe ground and. arranged in spaced relation, cross pieces lying acrossthe tops of said pillars, drain grooves formed in the tops of saidpillars, and supports for carrying heating pipes, said supportscomprising rigid brackets having portions lying v in the drain grooves,each support having a depending portion extending downwardly alongpillar and constructed to detachably support a heating pipe.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality ofpillars having grooves in their tops, which grooves incline downwardlyfrom a central portion, a rigid bracket having aportion lying in one ofsaid grooves across the top of each of said pillars, and a portiondepending down along said pillar having a member for carrying a heat-19; p p

5. In a bench construction for a greenhouse, the combination of apluralityof concrete pillars having a plurality of interconnectinggrooves in their upper surfaces,

which grooves incline from a cen'tral portion of said pillar outwardlyto drain the water from thetop of said pillar, a rigid metallic brackethaving a horizontal portion lying in one of said grooves, a dependingportion engaging one side of th'epillar and an oppositely extendingdepending portion having a curl in its bottom'most portion to receivethe heating pipe therein.

6. In a greenhouse construction the combination of a plurality ofconcrete pillars having cross-shaped grooves in their tops incliningdownwardly from the centraliportion of the pillar outwardly to drainwater from the top of the pillar, a bracket membermounted in'one of thegrooves in certain of said pillars comprising a horizontal portion andtwo depending legs, at least one of said legs having a curl fordetachably holding a heating pipe.

7. In the combination of a greenhouse bench, a plurality of concretepillars having transversely extending grooves constructed to drain thewater from the tops of said pillars, a metallic bracket having ahorizontal portion freely lying in one of said grooves and adapted topivot therein, said bracket having a depending leg formed with a bend toreceive a heating pipe, and a plurality of cross pieces lying across thetops of said pillars to support the bench construction.

8. A concrete pillar for a greenhouse having grooves in its top, whichgrooves are in clined to drain the water from said top, said groovesbeing constructed and arranged to receive bracket members.

9. In a greenhouse bench construction, the

- combination of a plurality of concrete pillars having groovesextending across the tops thereof, an inverted U-shaped bracket memberstraddling the upper end of each pillar, the legs of each U-shapedbracket member extending along the sides of its companion concretepillar and the portion connecting said legs swivelingly resting withinsaid grooves, and a pipe supporting section formed at the lowerextremity of one of said legs, the swivel mountin of said bracketsserving to compensate or expansion and contraction of the pipessupported by said brackets.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto suba scribed my name.

PHILIP L. MOKEE.

